Light and sweet Pumpkin Scones are flavored with pumpkin creamer, rich fall spices and coated in a simple but delicious cream glaze. Similar but healthier than Starbucks Pumpkin scones and a perfect easy cream scone recipe for Fall baking!

 

Homemade Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Whenever I whip up cream scones, I aim for the stars. I crave scones that strike the right balance – not too heavy, not too airy, and with a lovely golden hue. This recipe achieves just that, offering the ideal height and texture with the inclusion of wholesome oats and a pronounced pumpkin flavor.

These Pumpkin Scones are robust with a slight crunch on the surface while maintaining a moist and slightly sweet core. Ideal for breakfast or brunch, they single-handedly cover my fondness for Fall’s flavors – the essence of pumpkin, the comfort of the season, and the timely return of Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer.

How to Make Pumpkin Scones

These cream scones contain 150 calories less than the Starbucks Pumpkin scones they were inspired by. Along with pumpkin pie spice creamer, they’re made with healthy yogurt, oats, and half the butter! They are fabulous for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even a cozy dessert served with coffee or tea.

Ingredients For Pumpkin Scones

• Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer: Infuses the scones with a delicious burst of creamy Pumpkin spice flavor. My forever favorite is the seasonal Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer from International Delight. I stock up every year!
• Rolled Oats: I love the hearty texture that oats give these scones. Something about oatmeal and spices gives me all the fall vibes!
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar, or light brown sugar also works for an added hint of caramelized flavor.
• Butter: Chilled unsalted butter, chopped into pieces.
• Plain Yogurt: Nonfat yogurt or regular kind will add moisture to the scones.
• Flour
• Ground Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract
• Baking Powder
• Salt

Ingredients For the Glaze

• Ground Spices: Cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg. You can also use premixed pumpkin pie spice often found in the spice aisle, which contains all three!
• Powdered Sugar
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

Directions

1. Combine the Dry Ingredients: Mix together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
2. Cut in the Butter: Cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients. I always use my fingers, but you can use a pastry cutter if preferred. Mash the butter and dry ingredients together until the mixture is fine and crumbly.
3. Add in Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dough where you’ll pour in the creamer, yogurt, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything just until the dough comes together.
4. Knead & Cut the Dough: Knead the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a disk. Using a large knife, cut the dough disk into even sized wedges and then transfer these to a prepped baking sheet, leaving a bit of space for the dough to expand.
5. Bake: Bake the scones until they’re puffed up golden brown, and then let them cool on a wire rack.
6. Prepare the Glaze: To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and coffee creamer. You can add extra milk or sugar as needed to get the glaze to your desired consistency. Give each scone a generous spoonful of glaze, let it set, and then serve!

Can I Make Scones in Advance?

You can absolutely make the dough in advance and freeze it for baking as needed at a later date. To make these scones in advance, place the unbaked scones in a single layer on a baking tray, freeze them until they’re solid, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag. Bake the scones from frozen in a preheated oven, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.

Tips for Successful Pumpkin Scones

• Don’t Overmix the Dough: It’s fine if you still have visible pieces of butter after mixing your scone dough! Overmixing can lead to a not-so-nice texture.
• Bake with Cold Butter: Chilled butter is necessary when cutting into the flour for a fine crumbly texture! Cold butter also prevents the scones from spreading too much as they bake.

Flavor Variations For Scones

You can really let your imagination take hold when it comes to scones. They’re just such a perfect recipe for customizing! Here are some ways you can mix it up:

• Give the tops of the scones a sprinkle of brown sugar prior to baking.
• Drizzle your favorite icing or frosting overtop of the cream glaze.
• Mix a handful of chocolate chips, crushed nuts, or dried cranberries into the dough.
• Add in fresh blueberries, raspberries, or apple chunks.
• Swap out the yogurt for buttermilk.
• Instead of a cream glaze, try these scones with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Serving Suggestions For Pumpkin Scones

If you can’t get enough of cozy fall flavors like me, why not pair your scones with a Pumpkin Spice Latte or Cinnamon Dolce Latte? You can even dunk the scones right into your drink! You can also enjoy these cream scones warmed up with a nice indulgent slab of butter or your choice of fruit preserve. Apricot, marmalade, and cranberry jam are all super delicious paired with pumpkin spice.

How to Store and Warm Scones

• Store these scones in an airtight container or zip seal bag at room temperature. They’ll keep for up to 3 days, otherwise they also freeze super well – see freezing directions below.
• You can warm scones in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven for a few minutes, until heated through.

Can I Freeze Scones?

• As mentioned earlier, my favorite way to freeze scones (either baked or unbaked) is by pre-freezing them first and then transferring them to a freezer-safe container. You can leave them unwrapped, wrap them individually, or separate the layers with parchment paper.
• Allow baked scones to thaw to room temperature before serving (and glazing!). Unbaked scones can be baked in the oven straight from frozen.

More Fall Recipes

Fall is the best season for baking, and you can’t miss out on these other festive recipes:

• Pumpkin Spice Spritz Cookies
• Olive Oil Pecan Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Crumble
• Caramel Pecan Pie Bars